I Overcome Shyness

Diana likes to change her nail color multiple times per day, but I don’t get it. If I were to paint my nails, I’d choose black. Diana says it would be to match my soul, but I say it’s to match my shoes. Maybe my shoes match my soul? As some pompadoured Englishman once crooned:

“I wear black on the outside ’cause black is how I feel on the inside.”

This Morrissey guy’s mood may have been much improved if he’d tried sporting a clashing, plaid Herb Tarlek (of WKRP fame) ensemble for a day or two. Come to think of it, the same fellow also once sang:

“Shyness is nice, and shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you’d like to.”

This is pretty relative to a conversation that Diana and I had in this vlog while answering a viewer’s question about how a geek can overcome shyness. Believe it or not, I’m shy. I may appear extroverted — and sometimes I am — but I’m no stranger to feeling socially awkward. I think a lot of geeks can relate. Finding the thing that will bring you out of your shell — your passion for some subject (another thing with which most geeks can relate) — is an important confidence builder. And the key word to notice is “confidence.” Though sometimes mistaken as the same thing, “cockiness” is another — much less desirable — state of mind, altogether. The know-it-all geek who bludgeons other people with forced extroversion is probably better off just being shy. It’s much more dignified!

But if you can discern between confidence and cockiness, you’re halfway there.

Here’s one easy tip in parting: If you find yourself mingling in a crowd of fellow geeks but you’re afraid to initiate conversation, you’d be surprised at how far a clever t-shirt design can go. Seems simple, but it works!

Do you have any advice for geeks (or anyone) who wants to overcome shyness? Drop us a comment below and share!